


Forgetful Good Intentions

by infectedscrew



Category: Batman (Comics), DCU (Comics)
Genre: Angst, Gen, They forgot Tim's b-day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-09
Updated: 2016-05-09
Packaged: 2018-06-07 07:16:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,958
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6792901
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/infectedscrew/pseuds/infectedscrew
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tim’s birthday, despite all efforts, gets pushed to the side when Gotham is in danger.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Forgetful Good Intentions

A large number of things cause Tim stomach pains. Speeches, battle strategy, having to tell Bruce the communication devices had malfunctioned again were just a few on his list. But nothing made his stomach churn more than when people mentioned a particular dreadful day.

The day of his birth should have brought celebration and cheers. Instead it just made him nervous and uncomfortable. He didn’t want people to have to go out of their way to buy him things. He had enough stuff already. Nor did he want them to have to take time off of their busy schedules just to give him attention. People were busy for a reason, he hated to have to get in the way of that.

Still when Dick wouldn’t stop bothering him for three days straight, Tim finally gave in and agreed that, yes, a family dinner would be nice. After that, everything had been left to Dick’s mad thoughts.

Tim decided that it was a little better when someone else was doing the planning. It meant he didn’t have to go through the hassle of getting people to schedule around his life. And he didn’t have to give them present ideas. He didn’t need presents anyway.

Since Tim had agreed, he hadn’t heard another word from Dick. He assumed it was a done deal. He’d hoped, briefly, that Dick had forgotten. That the day would go passed unnoticed and he’d wake the next day a year older and with nothing else to report.

Manners dictated that he wake up on the morning of his birthday and plan on a family dinner. He couldn’t just not show up to his own dinner party. It would be rude beyond belief. And there was a chance that Tim’s hopes hadn’t gone through and Dick had, in fact, gotten something planned. Tim had been raised well enough that he should at least get dressed in something nice.

Unfortunately, his birthday fell on a Saturday that year and now he had to spend an entire day agonizing on a dinner that may or may not happen. As the day wore on, he hated to admit that he was slightly excited for it. But he didn’t allow himself to get too excited. He wasn’t sure he could handle the disappointment.

At around lunch time, Tim’s phone had gone off. Expecting a complaint from Ives or an update on Bruce’s newest case, he’d gone off to answer it.

“Timothy Drake?” A rather serious and slightly accented voice had greeted him.

“Yes, he’s speaking. I’m speaking,” Tim corrected, clearing his throat.

“This is Bella Note, we’re calling to remind you of a reservation made at eight o'clock for a party of eight, possibly seven.”

Tim blinked. He knew that restaurant. His parents had taken him there after a particularly lucrative discovery they’d made in Mexico. There wasn’t a single dish on their menu that was under twenty dollars. He swallowed thickly. “Yes, that sounds right.”

“Wonderful. We shall see you then.” The man hung up on the other line.

Slowly, Tim hung up his phone. He paused, considering the information. Eight was a lot of people. Granted, he knew just a couple more than that. He didn’t expect that many to show up at a dinner party.

“Well, should be seven. Alfred left for England yesterday,” he reminded himself quietly as he glanced to the clock. “And then probably six. Bruce has been on that case for awhile. He might let Dick off, maybe. But… There is no way Jason would agree.” He moved upstairs to the bathroom as he talked to himself. “Babs might not go. Oracle is always needed. Cass probably won’t. She doesn’t like public meetings…”

Tim sighed as he finished undressing and stepped into the shower. His stomach was churning, threatening to lose the tiny lunch he’d managed earlier. This dinner was turning into a bad idea, even if he could feel the little flutters of interest behind his ribs.

After an agonizingly long shower, Tim got out, dried and spent and even longer time trying to decide which tie to go with. His stomach was still tight and he was still talking himself out of excitement. His hands clutched his two final options.

“Shouldn’t wear something to nice, if the rest of the family does show up there is a good chance something will get spilled,” he informed the ties. One of his favorites still had a stain from the time Dick had openly discussed his relationship with Babs at a large charity. He sighed and finished getting dressed.

Fancy, but not too fancy.

He didn’t want people to think he’d tried too hard, after all.

Once he was sure he was ready, he checked the time and headed out. He had a good fifteen minutes to spare. He didn’t want to get there too early. Waiting was always a test of patience. But he didn’t want to get there late, either. That was just an expression of bad manners.

He’d gotten to the restaurant just five minutes before seven. With a big name attached to the reservation, he was seated almost instantly. A kind smiling young woman got him some water.

“Would you like anything else to drink?” She asked, setting his glass of water down.

Tim shook his head. “No, I can wait for the others.”

She nodded. “Just catch my attention if you need anything.”

“Thank you.”

Tim lifted his glass for a sip. He rarely drank water at restaurants. It was better to drink what he ordered, otherwise he’d just fill up and waste food. Plus he’d always enjoyed running his fingers over the condensation that gathered on the glass. This time he thought he’d just try the water to ease his stomach.

It was two glasses of water later that Tim realized that his stomach wasn’t going to feel much better.

The waitress, named Holly as Tim had learned, was starting to visit him quite often. Each visit was brought with conversation and a rather pitying look from Holly’s side. She was starting to stay at his table longer and longer.

Tim wasn’t sure if it made him feel better or not. All he knew was that his stomach hurt, he was onto his third glass of water and he was never going to live this down. He couldn’t believe he’d been selfish enough to ask Bruce and Dick to take time out of their case work. And then to add Jason, Cass, Babs and Steph into the mix? He really was the worst.

“Oh, I have another table. I’ll be right back,” Holly said, smiling sympathetically and turning away from him and bustling off.

Tim’s hand curled around his glass. He watched the water sink into his skin. It was easier than seeing the other guests whisper about him at their tables.

“Shit,” someone cursed to his left. “I’m late. Really didn’t mean to. There was just this guy on fifth and…”

Tim looked up to see Jason hurrying to his table, trying to tuck in his shirt. The older male looked a little rumpled and rather irritated. The irritation only seemed to grow when he stopped and took in the nearly empty table. His gaze traveled to Tim, who was looking up at him with a slightly wary suspicion.

Jason’s hand slowly slid off of his tie. “Those shits…” He muttered.

-/-

“That took far longer than it should have,” Dick complained, striding into the Cave. He was aching, covered in dirt and he’d never been happier. “Who would have thought the clue was just pointing to the Oakland Park.”

Bruce stepped in behind him, a rather tight look of bemusement on his features. He only got that expression when he’d successfully cracked a case that had been a problem for far too long. He nodded at Dick’s words. He pushed back his cowl. “It shouldn’t have taken us that much time.”

Dick shrugged, pulling off his mask. “At least we got it done, right?” He grinned to his mentor. Working on cases together was always an Olympic event. Whenever it ended in success, Dick always felt like the biggest man on the planet. He could do anything and nothing could stop him.

He knew, in his own weird way, that Bruce felt much the same.

“That’s true,” Bruce vaguely agreed, the bat-suit sliding off.

They both paused when the phone went off. Very few people called the Cave number. Generally only people who knew when patrol was over.

“Babs..?” Dick asked.

Bruce shook his head. “Alfred. He should be up for lunch by now.”

Dick moved over to the phone and picked it up. “Hello?”

“Master Richard, getting off to patrol I take it?” Alfred greeted him, sounding refreshed despite only on the second day of his vacation. It always did the body good to get away.

“Oh, no. Just getting back.”

There was a slight hitch before Alfred spoke again. “Getting back? Then the dinner ended early?”

“Dinner…?” Dick stopped, body going frigid and his blood running cold. “Oh…” He groaned, shoulders slumping. “Fuck, I forgot.”

“You forgot?” And Dick could just picture Alfred’s eyebrow shooting up and his lips turning down.

Dick glanced to the clock and grimaced. “Yeah… By three hours.”

Alfred’s tongue clicked. “You’d best recify this, Master Richard.”

“Yes, I know,” Dick mumbled. “Talk to you later Alfred.” He hung up and looked to Bruce. The man’s expression was curious in the most subdued sense.

“Dinner?” He repeated.

“Yeah, Tim’s birthday dinner.”

Bruce stilled, looking to him. “That is tonight?”

Dick nodded. He dropped the phone back into it’s cradle. He slumped into the computer chair. “I blanked. The case was just so distracting. I didn’t even think about it. Oh man, I hope he’s still not there. I know Babs didn’t go. Nor did Cass. Do you think Steph did?” He babbled, chest feeling tight.

Bruce moved over to the chair. His jaw was set in the way it only got when he’d failed to save a civilian. “We were on a case. He’ll understand.”

They both looked to each other and they both knew Tim would understand in all the wrong ways. He’d think they didn’t find him important. That the case meant more to them than he did. That birthdays didn’t matter, especially Tim’s because crimes were happening.

Tim would tell them everything was okay and that he understood but then he wouldn’t talk to them for months. They’d be lucky if they even saw his face in the next two weeks.

“Bruce…”

“Yes, we made a mistake.”

Dick dug his hands into his hair, tugging at it. “He’s going to think we hate him.”

Bruce nodded, not looking at Dick but at the Cave around them.

“He has enough problems accepting that he’s apart of this vigilante team. He’s going to think he’s a mistake. Then he’s going to do that stupid thing where he doesn’t eat or sleep for two days. And he won’t let anyone talk to him for weeks.” Dick knew he was just talking to say something. But both men knew there was an agonizing truth to the babbling words.

“We’ll have to talk to him,” Bruce cut in, voice stern but not unkind.

Dick sighed, letting go of his hair. “I’ll call him.” He leaned forward to grab the phone again. He dialed Tim’s phone, not really expecting an answer. However when Tim did answer, he did sound appropriately miserable. “Tim..?”

“Dick? Is everything okay?” Tim asked, knocking his words into Dick’s chest and making the Bludhaven hero hate himself all the more.

“No. I, we… Bruce and I missed your dinner. We–”

“Oh, it’s okay. You were on your case. I understand.”


End file.
